1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to guides used to guide photographic print paper in photographic printers. In particular, it relates to photographic print paper guides that are quickly attached and detached to accommodate and automatically center print paper of different widths.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many photographic printers of the prior art have internal photographic print paper supplies, that is, the photographic print paper supply roll is located in the same cabinet that supports and houses the optical system, the paper deck, and the print paper mask. When different print paper widths are needed, the print paper supply roll with its spool is removed and another supply roll of a different width is placed in its stead. These supply rolls are, however, fairly small due to space restrictions in the cabinet. Thus, many of these photographic printers having internal print paper supply rolls are being converted to accommodate a large external print paper supply that enables the user to operate the photographic printer in a more efficient and economic manner.
For a proper conversion to an external print paper supply, the apparatus supporting and guiding the print paper roll on the outside of the cabinet must be perfectly aligned with the internal guiding system and paper mask of the photographic printer. If the external supply apparatus is not aligned with respect to the internal guiding system of the photographic printer and print paper mask, the print paper will not be centered properly under the print mask. In bordered photographic prints, the result is that one border is larger than the other, and in borderless prints, a border may appear on one edge of the photographic print. To avoid noticeable border problems, the photographic print paper must be held within plus or minus 0.015 inches of the print paper path that would result in perfect centering of the print paper in the paper mask. Thus, the conversion of an internal paper supply photographic printer to an external paper supply may easily result in off-centered photographic prints.